“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31 – 32 (NIV)

James, the brother of Jesus said, “consider it all joy whenever you face trials”

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:2-4

What would you feel if you gained fatherly wisdom from a trial, knowing the wisdom was from God? Would you feel joy knowing you had a purpose, knowing there was a reason for the trial?

In my book, you’ll see me asking God the reason for the trials that befell me, and you will read God’s answers. I hope it will encourage other people when they see how God answered.

Job said, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10

Like the Book of Job, mine is a story of faith rewarded. I recommend my book to those who are struggling, who are being tested in various ways.

Einstein said “The most beautiful and deepest experience a man can have is the sense of the mysterious. It is the underlying principle of religion as well as all serious endeavour in art and science. He who never had this experience seems to me, if not dead, then at least blind.”

So who do we call when we want to delve into mysteries?

God says “Call on me, and I will show you great and unsearchable things.” Jeremiah 33:3

“It’s the glory of God to conceal a matter, to search a matter is the glory of Kings.” Proverbs 25:2

Birds

Crickets

Fish

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10

Like this:

Ishmael, a character in my book is about to read my story. That’s not his real name, but it suits him. He is a Moslem. Before reading it, I was at pains to explain who “the King,” the main character in my book is.

“We worship the same God,” he replied, wanting peace between us.

Really? I heard the same thing from my new age publishing consultant. She believed the market would be fine with my story as “any deity could play the King.”

“You mean, Jesus could be the same as Allah?” I asked the publishing consultant, to clarify.

“Well, yes – as the Bible and the Quran contain many of the same elements” she replied.

It is true that Islam’s warlike prophet Mohammed did include parts of the Bible in the Quran. The Gospels had been around at least 500 years before Islam.

But both books can’t be right. I made it quite clear before publishing the book that I would not change the name of the King or dilute his persona or character – not for anybody. He is who he is.

“Who do you say I am?” Jesus asked.

“What is truth?” Pilate asked.

These are the questions we all have to decide. I only hope my book “The Kingdom, Here Be Dragons, Here Be Dreams” presents the King as he is in the Bible; the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God. 1 Timothy 1:17

For Ishmael’s sake, I did try to read the Quran years ago. I got through a good part of it before stopping at the part which advocated killing Jews and infidels. There are over a hundred verses in the Quran dealing with Jihad or holy war. That’s why we’re having so many problems with terrorism, which would be better named “Muslim fundamentalism.”

At his arrest, Jesus, the King in my story, told Peter “Put away your sword, for those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” Matthew 26:52.

After praying for wisdom, I tried a different tack with Ishmael. I looked at who Jesus, Isa is in the Quran. Much to my surprise, in the Quran Jesus is called “Spirit of God” and “Word of God.” And he is mentioned more in the Quran than Mohammed, their prophet.

But it’s like the truth is veiled from Ishmael. His religion is designed to keep them away from Christ. Knowing that only the true God can remove the veil. I presented Jesus, Isa to him as the “Spirit of God.” I can remember Ishmael referring to Jesus as such.

The Bible explains that with the Lord, there is freedom; “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

This poem is for Ishmael. Although we are related through Abraham, peace cannot come through compromise. To agree that God and Allah are the same is to break the first commandment, which says; “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:1-3

Ishmael, my brother,
How long shall we fight each other?
My brother from times bygone,
My brother - Hagar's son,
My brother the wandering one.
One angel was sent to us both,
One angel watched over our growth -
There in the wilderness, death threatened through thirst,
I a sacrifice on the alter, Sarah's first.
Ishmael, my brother, hear my plea:
It was the angel who tied you to me. . . .
Time is running out, put hatred to sleep.
Shoulder to Shoulder, lets water our sheep.

Do you believe there are animals in the Kingdom of Heaven? Let’s imagine we can have a peek in the Kingdom from the Bible. Here’s the throne of God, with a floor of sapphire, and encircled by an emerald rainbow.

“In front of the throne on what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the centre, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.” Revelation 4:6

Covered with eyes? I can’t really picture it. The creatures described in Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4 aren’t like anything we have on earth.

Perhaps God has tried to show us with the peacock!

The Hebrew word for eyes is ‘ayin‘ which represents consciousness – the idea of seeing and watching as well as knowledge. Here in this world, our animals eyes show innocence, the innocence of our lost Eden. Before the throne of God, I can imagine their innocent eyes reveal intelligence and spiritual insight.

These creatures are in the midst of the throne so we can see that God has his companion creatures, just as we do.

The living creatures are of four types, and of four in number. Four is the “earth number,” for they have something to do with the earth. “They wait in eager expectation for children of God to be revealed.” Romans 8:19.

Animals have a soul. God had given his creatures breath, “ruach”, a soul – just as man has been given breath, a soul. “In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:10

Does God care about our animals? I’d say yes, for he writes that a righteous man cares for the needs of his animal.” (Proverbs 12:10). He cares about us all.

He watches over them. Jesus said “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.“Matthew 10:29

The animals belong to God, and he knows each one. “Every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.” Psalms 50:10-11

It says in Revelation 4:11 that God created all things, and they were created for his pleasure.

Although the creatures are God’s, God placed them under Adam’s dominion. After the fall of man, all creation suffered when the Earth came under a curse.

Job, the oldest book in the Bible deals with suffering. Job spoke of the life of the creatures and the breath of all mankind being in God’s hand. He said, “Ask the animals, and they will teach you.” Job 12:7-10

The creatures can’t tell us, but they have this hope of being released from suffering. They’re looking forward to the day when they can join us in the new Kingdom, where there will be no more death or suffering.

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hopethat the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Romans 8:19-22

All creatures will be brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God when God’s Kingdom comes.

The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
Isaiah 11:6

Recently I attended a party in a beautiful spot near Leigh, a fishing village further up the coast. While we were all mingling and enjoying the view, I was asked about my book. “What’s it about?”

Er, um. “It’s about a journey through two worlds – the outside world, and a hidden, inner world called “The Kingdom.” The main character, the King, is Jesus.”

I study my listeners face as I try to explain my counter-cultural book. I’m relieved to see she hasn’t shown any antagonism at His name. I never know what kind of reaction I’m going to get.

“Are you religious?” she asks.

That’s a tricky question. To me, religion is a lot of man-made rules and structures in man’s attempt to reach God, which doesn’t interest me. Jesus is different. He is God’s attempt to reach man. Jesus said “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” With Jesus there are only two rules – to love God with all our heart and all our soul and all our strength and with all our mind, and love others as we love ourselves. I believe and try to live by those rules.

“I am a believer” I answer.

“Where is your book sold?” she asked.

“Right now, as an eBook on Amazon. It’s a bit hard to market the book because Jesus lacks credibility in the world’s eyes. And my book doesn’t fit in a niche.”

How can I promote the King in a world full of disinformation and lies?

It’s a shame because I know Him from experience, but it’s MY experience. How can I convince people He is real? Or of His worth? Or talk about all the proof there is for Him? I can’t offer any of that unless I have permission to. And a party is not the place.

“I’ll check it out” she said.

I am surprised. I think people can be more open-minded than I give them credit or.

Nicola was one such reader. She wrote “I didn’t expect God to play such a huge role in the book or for there to be quite as many bible quotes, I am ashamed to admit if I had read the info sent to me better I wouldn’t have read the book. That being said I am grateful if misread my info as I would have missed out on a truly original book.”

Willing to overcome her bias and consider new ideas; she kept reading and found she liked my main character; “I really liked that God was a real character in this story and I think he would be very happy at the way he was portrayed, we saw things from Joanna’s view and also from God’s.

Lucifer was also portrayed, his voice at least. I liked the way that Lucifer was portrayed, not as his cloven, evil personal as he usually is, in fact I found him quite funny the way he heckles, scoffs and laughs, all the while whispering in Joanna’s ear how God doesn’t love her, how she doesn’t deserve his love. His role is to put doubt in people’s minds, convince them they are not good enough, not liked etc… etc… I found him more believable than the fire and brimstone totally evil role he usually plays, in this I found him more real his turning people from God by deceit.

God on the other hand is constantly assuring Joanna and others of his love for them, that he has always loved them and always will, and his sadness at those who turn their backs on him. I felt he was a very human God who had all of our good points amplified and more, with none of our bad.”

So I am seeking open-minded readers for “The Kingdom, Here Be Dragons, Here Be Dreams.” Come and read a one of a kind book where God actually replies and converses with the characters. At some points you can even see the story from His perspective. This story is written with a different mind.

Can we understand something of the mind of God? I hope you will read and decide for yourself.